Cape League notebook: Marconcini off to slammin' start

Friday

Jun 28, 2013 at 2:00 AM

When Duke first baseman Chris Marconcini, playing for Orleans, hit a grand slam last week at Yarmouth-Dennis, he said it was the first grand slam he has ever hit. The 6-5, 230-pound slugger followed that up with a ninth-inning home run to beat Chatham, 6-5.

RUSS CHARPENTIER

When Duke first baseman Chris Marconcini, playing for Orleans, hit a grand slam last week at Yarmouth-Dennis, he said it was the first grand slam he has ever hit. The 6-5, 230-pound slugger followed that up with a ninth-inning home run to beat Chatham, 6-5.

Marconcini had 10 RBIs to go with his two homers, three doubles and a triple through the Firebirds' first 11 games and has delivered at a .341 clip. At school this spring he hit .284 with eight homers and 38 RBIs. For a big guy, he also had eight steals in 10 attempts.

It was a nice bounce back after missing his sophomore season with an ACL injury. He was a Louisville Slugger Freshmen All American in 2011.

Marconcini also missed most of his high school senior season with a hamstring tear. He wasn't drafted out of Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tenn., but was always committed to attending Duke, where he's a sociology major.

He said he's here to refine his skills and return to Duke an improved player.

"Against this pitching, everything comes out in terms of what you need to work on."

Harwich shortstop Gunnar Heidt (College of Charleston) has struggled mightily at the plate with only three hits in 32 at-bats as the regular season hits the quarter pole. But he has a grand slam and a triple and five RBIs.

At school this spring, Heidt hit a team-high .349 with an on-base percentage of .428, 54 RBIs and 13 steals in 17 attempts. But many good college players have struggled making the adjustment to the quality and depth of Cape League pitching.

"Going from the Southern Conference to here, you're facing everybody's best guy. There's no drop off," said Heidt. "Everybody's throwing hard and everybody's curveball is a little bit sharper than what I'm used to. You think you get a break when you see a reliever coming in, but he's throwing harder than the starter did."

Heidt also struggled in the Coastal Plains League last summer, batting just .220, but then returned to Charleston and found his groove.

"I worked pretty hard in the fall with my hitting coach, Chris Morris. He got me right and I carried it over to spring."

"You have to remember what got you here," he said. "You're here because of the numbers you put up and your talent, so you've got to keep executing."

Colorado Rockies infielder DJ LeMahieu used an off-day in Boston on Monday to drive to Harwich for a visit with Mariners manager Steve Englert and stayed around for some of that night's game with Orleans. LeMahieu played for Harwich's 2008 championship team. He was a second-round draft choice of the Cubs out of CWS champion LSU in 2009. ... Y-D manager Scott Pickler piloted Cypress College to the California Community College championship this season for the fifth time in 29 years ... Harwich third base coach Pete Pasquarosa was guest of New York Mets amateur scouting director Tommy Tanous in the organization's "war room" at Citi Field a week before draft day, and was the team's guest when they hosted the Yankees ... Patrick Biondi, who hit .388 to win the 2012 batting championship for Cotuit, was drafted in the ninth round and signed with the Mets.

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